, 1887-05-13
THE czAR,s PRISON HOME


The Grent CATCHING Fortress In Which
lie Hides In Terror.
''Quis custodist ipsos custodes!" is the
reflection which springs into ones mind
on hearing the rumors as to attempts on
the cars life in his rural retreat at CAT
china. The country house inhabited by
tho %autocrat of all the Russias is nothing
more nor less than a fortress surrounded
by meats, with a strong garrison, and
situated in the midst of an immense
camp, in which countless ~detachments of
soldiers, horse, foot, artillery and even
engineers, are quartered. Yet even here
the life of the sovereign is exposed to
various pcrils, chief among which is the
notorious disaffection of portions of his
vast army. The time was when the car
could at least reckon on the fidelity of
his troops, and on the blind and unreal
soning devotion of the liberated serfs.
Now all is changed. 1t is acknowledged
that the revolutionary movement has
spread with appalling and significant
rapidity, even to classes which had always
been regarded as trustworthy.
Meanwhile, however, Alexander III
has no alternative but to make the best
of the situation. Picked soldiers guard
him day and night at CATCHING, and the
s~trictist discipline prevails in the fortress
castle. A writer who a short time ago
had the rare privilege of an introduction
to the presence of the c~zarina, gives a
graphic account of his visit, and of the
precautions taken to prevent any mishap.
Travelling from st. Petersburg to Catch
ina in company with Gen. Ignatieff and
Gen. Baumgarten, one of the emperor's
oflaa do nn,,nn ha nptiCal oil o1An~ tho
route small detachments of engineers
encamped in the open air at short inter
walls from zach other. Cossacks, mounted
on their small horses, galloped about
in every direction. The party were
fetched at the station by one Of the
imperial carriages, which started off at
full speed, and, after crossing a bridge,
strongly guarded, arrived at a huge gate
way, at which the writer and his COM
panions had to show their papers. Thence
they were conducted to a wing of the
palace, where the same ceremonial was
gon through, after which they were
taken through a perfect labyrinth of
passages INC s~taircaseS to room reserved
for them. The writer was asked if he
would nave luncheon or tea, and was
then left to himself until the hour ap
pOllllSNl " liz uuulCISC. ~ DOOlS tu.
Baumgarten came to fetch him.
On the way to the central building he
saw the steps crowded with sentries, who
in turn presented arms with such a din
that he shrewdly suspected that the noise
was intended to warn their comrades
further off of the arrival of a stranger.
Next a large hall, in which 100 soldiers of
the guard were on duty, was trayersed.
AT the further end the visitor had again
to exhibit his papers, and after ascending
a magnificent staircase and crossing q hall
in which a gigantic Moor in a superb
costume, and two huge Teherkesses armed
to the teeth with dirks and pistols were
stationed, he was introduced by a man
servant into q small but elegant drawing
room, whence he passed, under the con-
duct of one of the gentlemen on service,
into the empress reception room. After
half an hours conversation, in the course
Of which her majesty remarked that there
were some very impious men in Russia,
the writer withdrew, but ere he took
leave of Gen. Baumgarten the latter, re-
ferring to the f~rankness with which he
had spoken, told him that no Russian
would have dared give advice to the
c~zarina, jokingly adding: Take carel
You may be sent to Siberia. What can
be more characteristic than this rap
proachment of the aide de camps grim
Jest about Siberia and the precautions
taken by the sovereign to avert all danger
from himself and his family.-London
Telegraph.